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Redefining Success: Still Making Mistakes
W. Brett Wilson, Dragons' Den co-star and Risky Business host, often gets asked about his secrets to success. He became one of Canada's top investment bankers because he was driven, willing to take risks and saw opportunity where others saw roadblocks.
But along the path to business success, he tripped over a multitude of misguided priorities. For many years, Wilson pursued business with uncompromising focus, working long hours, seven days a week. In the process, his marriage and his health suffered greatly: he was rarely home as his children were growing up, divorce became inevitable and cancer struck at age forty-three. He truly learned the hard way that one can find financial success and the respect of business peers while almost losing what matters most: health, family and friends.
Redefining Success details how Wilson was forced to redefine his life, making health and key relationships his first priorities. Through trial and error, he discovered that these simple virtues are foundational for real, enduring success, both in business and in life. Wilson's compelling insights are the basis for Redefining Success. Not just for entrepreneurs and business people, the book outlines how we can change our lives for the better by re-evaluating our personal definitions of success, then reworking them into a life plan that is feasible, lasting and rewarding.
Inspirational and paradigm-changing, Redefining Success will help you implement and sustain lasting, positive change in your life—and make your world a little more meaningful—every day.
But along the path to business success, he tripped over a multitude of misguided priorities. For many years, Wilson pursued business with uncompromising focus, working long hours, seven days a week. In the process, his marriage and his health suffered greatly: he was rarely home as his children were growing up, divorce became inevitable and cancer struck at age forty-three. He truly learned the hard way that one can find financial success and the respect of business peers while almost losing what matters most: health, family and friends.
Redefining Success details how Wilson was forced to redefine his life, making health and key relationships his first priorities. Through trial and error, he discovered that these simple virtues are foundational for real, enduring success, both in business and in life. Wilson's compelling insights are the basis for Redefining Success. Not just for entrepreneurs and business people, the book outlines how we can change our lives for the better by re-evaluating our personal definitions of success, then reworking them into a life plan that is feasible, lasting and rewarding.
Inspirational and paradigm-changing, Redefining Success will help you implement and sustain lasting, positive change in your life—and make your world a little more meaningful—every day.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published November 6, 2012
19 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 12, 2012
When I was chosen to review W. Brett Wilson’s book, Redefining Success- Still Making Mistakes, on my blog, I couldn’t have been more excited. Honestly, I was a little surprised that he picked my tiny little blog out of the group of applications that he received. In fact, I was so excited that I didn’t think about the possibility that his book might not be meant for people like me. I waited and waited, eventually received the copies that were sent to me, and set about reading it. It became apparent early on that I was not his target audience, but I plowed through it nonetheless. I read and read, and when I finally got to the end, I realized that although the book was not meant for me, there were a variety of points and lessons that I could take from it regardless.
For those of you who don’t own a television, W. Brett Wilson was one of the Dragons on the CBC version of the television show Dragon’s Den. On this show, budding entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a number of well-established businesspeople, the “dragons”, who then decide whether to accept or reject their pitch. From the start, Brett Wilson was known as the generous Dragon, and he accepted more proposals than anybody else, often based more on a gut instinct for the person than the pitch itself. He is an established entrepreneur, having founded various successful companies, and philanthropist, having given millions away to various charities and organizations. He has battled workaholism, cancer and divorce and come out of it a better person. Basically, he is a great guy.
Redefining Success is a collection of stories and recollections from his life, combined with advice as to how others can live a more successful life themselves. He discusses his early life and how he started out, and then moved on to the decisions that made him successful. Then, he talks about the dark period in his life, where he realized that there was more to life than material success. Unfortunately, he was too late to save his marriage, but he improved his health and redefined his life to fit with a new set of priorities, which he mentions in another chapter. Of course, no book of his would be complete without mention of the deals he made on Dragon’s Den, so he devotes an entire chapter to those. He goes on to reminisce about his philanthropic ventures and offer suggestions as to how we can all give more back to the world we live in. Finally, he concludes his autobiography with a series of lists that concisely recount the main points he attempted to drive home.
I’m going to be honest, when I started reading Redefining Success, I didn’t actually expect to like it. I am not a big fan of autobiographies or self-help books, because I find that they are repetitive and cliche. I will admit, this book had some of those elements. I was a little confused as to why every chapter started with a photo of W. Brett Wilson in a different pose, accompanied by an artsy bit of text. To me, that addition seemed a little self-indulgent. Also, Redefining Success has the same problem that many self-help books seem to have. It was quite repetitive. I found myself skipping over parts, thinking that I had already read this information two or three times. I understand that for something to stick in your brain, it needs to be mentioned more than once in a different way, but I never felt like the points were made in an innovative way. Finally, the last thing that bothered me was the large amount of name-dropping. I didn’t know the names of most of the people that were mentioned in the book, and frankly, I didn’t really want to. I’m sure I feel the same way as most of the popular audience. These names don’t mean anything to regular people, and to me it just felt like another attempt to seem impressive.
On the other hand, there were a number of things that the book did quite well. On the small side, one of the chapters started with a Harry Potter quote, which pulled me in from the beginning and made me relate to the author a bit more. It is the little things that count when one is trying to be relatable, and the idea that this millionaire sat down, read Harry Potter, and thought that the quote was relevant enough to put in his autobiography really made me connect with him a bit more. Also, the chapters on creative philanthropy were very unique and introduced ideas to me that I had never previously thought about. The best part was that I felt I could apply them to my own life, even though my life is completely different than his. He advocates throwing parties or events and instead of a gift, telling everyone to bring a cheque to a charity of his choice. This is something I would have never thought of, but it is such a brilliant concept. Finally, I absolutely loved the conclusion. I am a very organized person who lives for lists, and the idea of summing everything up in a collection of lists really resonated with me. It was simple, concise, and easy to read. Well done, W. Brett Wilson. Well done.
Overall, I wouldn’t say that the book was meant for people like me. Its market is more entrepreneurs and older adults who can connect with his life more easily. However, even though it wouldn’t be my first pick for winter literature, it was easy to read and there were many points made that were directly relevant to my own life. I would recommend reading Redefining Success if you have watched the TV show, if you want to know more about W. Brett Wilson’s life, or if you are looking for ways to tweak your life for the better.
For those of you who don’t own a television, W. Brett Wilson was one of the Dragons on the CBC version of the television show Dragon’s Den. On this show, budding entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a number of well-established businesspeople, the “dragons”, who then decide whether to accept or reject their pitch. From the start, Brett Wilson was known as the generous Dragon, and he accepted more proposals than anybody else, often based more on a gut instinct for the person than the pitch itself. He is an established entrepreneur, having founded various successful companies, and philanthropist, having given millions away to various charities and organizations. He has battled workaholism, cancer and divorce and come out of it a better person. Basically, he is a great guy.
Redefining Success is a collection of stories and recollections from his life, combined with advice as to how others can live a more successful life themselves. He discusses his early life and how he started out, and then moved on to the decisions that made him successful. Then, he talks about the dark period in his life, where he realized that there was more to life than material success. Unfortunately, he was too late to save his marriage, but he improved his health and redefined his life to fit with a new set of priorities, which he mentions in another chapter. Of course, no book of his would be complete without mention of the deals he made on Dragon’s Den, so he devotes an entire chapter to those. He goes on to reminisce about his philanthropic ventures and offer suggestions as to how we can all give more back to the world we live in. Finally, he concludes his autobiography with a series of lists that concisely recount the main points he attempted to drive home.
I’m going to be honest, when I started reading Redefining Success, I didn’t actually expect to like it. I am not a big fan of autobiographies or self-help books, because I find that they are repetitive and cliche. I will admit, this book had some of those elements. I was a little confused as to why every chapter started with a photo of W. Brett Wilson in a different pose, accompanied by an artsy bit of text. To me, that addition seemed a little self-indulgent. Also, Redefining Success has the same problem that many self-help books seem to have. It was quite repetitive. I found myself skipping over parts, thinking that I had already read this information two or three times. I understand that for something to stick in your brain, it needs to be mentioned more than once in a different way, but I never felt like the points were made in an innovative way. Finally, the last thing that bothered me was the large amount of name-dropping. I didn’t know the names of most of the people that were mentioned in the book, and frankly, I didn’t really want to. I’m sure I feel the same way as most of the popular audience. These names don’t mean anything to regular people, and to me it just felt like another attempt to seem impressive.
On the other hand, there were a number of things that the book did quite well. On the small side, one of the chapters started with a Harry Potter quote, which pulled me in from the beginning and made me relate to the author a bit more. It is the little things that count when one is trying to be relatable, and the idea that this millionaire sat down, read Harry Potter, and thought that the quote was relevant enough to put in his autobiography really made me connect with him a bit more. Also, the chapters on creative philanthropy were very unique and introduced ideas to me that I had never previously thought about. The best part was that I felt I could apply them to my own life, even though my life is completely different than his. He advocates throwing parties or events and instead of a gift, telling everyone to bring a cheque to a charity of his choice. This is something I would have never thought of, but it is such a brilliant concept. Finally, I absolutely loved the conclusion. I am a very organized person who lives for lists, and the idea of summing everything up in a collection of lists really resonated with me. It was simple, concise, and easy to read. Well done, W. Brett Wilson. Well done.
Overall, I wouldn’t say that the book was meant for people like me. Its market is more entrepreneurs and older adults who can connect with his life more easily. However, even though it wouldn’t be my first pick for winter literature, it was easy to read and there were many points made that were directly relevant to my own life. I would recommend reading Redefining Success if you have watched the TV show, if you want to know more about W. Brett Wilson’s life, or if you are looking for ways to tweak your life for the better.
September 11, 2018
Memoirs are my favourite non-fiction genre and have been so for over a decade. I read a lot of them. This is the only memoir/autobiography that I’ve ever read in the business section that I truly loved and learned so much from — so much so, I plan to read it again. It’s rich with personal humility and wisdom, as well as valuable insights about what it means to be successful in life. I highly recommend this book to all, especially those who are passionate about the philosophy of social entrepreneurship and/or the philanthropy. Mostly I recommend this book to anyone who has ever made a mistake before or has ever been diagnosed with a serious, life-threatening illness in the prime of life. The honesty, humility and wisdom in this book is inspiring and priceless.
July 30, 2013
To be honest, I wasn't as impressed as I had hoped to be.
July 13, 2018
Being from Calgary, Alberta myself, I found this book to resonate particularly well with me. Had I not been from Western Canada I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much as a good chunk of the material is quite localized. If you're American, I can almost guaranteed your ignorant ass will get bored in a hurry (shots fired).
Brett has written a revealing memoir which must have been difficult to press publish on. There are some spots where he could have taken a slightly less descriptive dive into his past and instead he chose to reveal more than he had to. I respected this most about his writing.
You can tell he genuinely wants to do good in the world which helped my tolerance levels when he talks about his hay days in business and the gazillions he made. Thankfully, he does legitimately give a lot back in time and money so those riches are in better hands than most greedy bastards.
One more thing I will say is that as someone who is involved in small businesses in Calgary, hearing him talk about deal making made the possibility of receiving capital investment and even one day working in venture capital feel a lot more real. I know these things don't happen over night and Wilson basically killed himself getting to the level that he did but I think even with a more balanced approach, inordinate success is still possible... Or did I just say that because it sounded cool? I'M GOING TO BE AVERAGE FOREVER, FML.
Brett has written a revealing memoir which must have been difficult to press publish on. There are some spots where he could have taken a slightly less descriptive dive into his past and instead he chose to reveal more than he had to. I respected this most about his writing.
You can tell he genuinely wants to do good in the world which helped my tolerance levels when he talks about his hay days in business and the gazillions he made. Thankfully, he does legitimately give a lot back in time and money so those riches are in better hands than most greedy bastards.
One more thing I will say is that as someone who is involved in small businesses in Calgary, hearing him talk about deal making made the possibility of receiving capital investment and even one day working in venture capital feel a lot more real. I know these things don't happen over night and Wilson basically killed himself getting to the level that he did but I think even with a more balanced approach, inordinate success is still possible... Or did I just say that because it sounded cool? I'M GOING TO BE AVERAGE FOREVER, FML.
March 28, 2025
I forced myself to finish it, and even then I had to skip over some 30 pages or so because it was on par with watching a grown man masterbate to completion. This billionair self anoints the word pholanthropist to a point of nausia that can only be discribed as borderline psychotic. At one point he starts discussing how he doesn't believe that altruisms exist, and that as a business you should be engaging in philanthropy with an end goal of increasing your bank accont in mind. Then goes on to discuss how tears fill his eyes when the countless thank you letters fill his mailbox.
It's not philanthropy if the only reason you are doing it is to make money, make contacts, market your interests etc, that's just cleverly disguised business expenses. Philantrhopy is giving for giving sake, not for the sake of you net worth.
I hope that I don't ever meet this man in first person, because I'll probably try to spit into his mouth.
Extra's each chapter opens with a black and white photo of Brett doing somthing stupid and out of place, example, sitting in a laundrymat. When, when in the last 20 years has this man washed his own clothes let alone take his own laundry to a laundry mat. Example 2, street busking outside a run down bar. WHEN, When has this man ever stood on a street with a guitar begging for coins. HE'S A BILLIONAIR!
If I could give it zero stars I would have.
It's not philanthropy if the only reason you are doing it is to make money, make contacts, market your interests etc, that's just cleverly disguised business expenses. Philantrhopy is giving for giving sake, not for the sake of you net worth.
I hope that I don't ever meet this man in first person, because I'll probably try to spit into his mouth.
Extra's each chapter opens with a black and white photo of Brett doing somthing stupid and out of place, example, sitting in a laundrymat. When, when in the last 20 years has this man washed his own clothes let alone take his own laundry to a laundry mat. Example 2, street busking outside a run down bar. WHEN, When has this man ever stood on a street with a guitar begging for coins. HE'S A BILLIONAIR!
If I could give it zero stars I would have.
August 3, 2018
Very enjoyable read that works as an excellent challenge to businesspeople, advising the value of charity work and right priorities. Admittedly, the book sometimes gets a bit lost in the forest; Brett is an incredibly interesting individual, but that doesn't mean I want to read all of the details of his various investments without any clear piece of learning to extract. Still, an easy read and worth the time.
December 15, 2020
It's a kind hearted sincere and genuine read. I'm glad Brett is a symbol of Canadian success. He is a true giver, generous and philanthropist. I enjoyed this light read and it got me curious about investment banking, but it was better to read about a man who was grounded and aware to the core.
It could have been more fun or filled with more engaging stories, however instead, I appreciated the simple and artful nature of the book and his life.
It could have been more fun or filled with more engaging stories, however instead, I appreciated the simple and artful nature of the book and his life.
September 26, 2018
DNF - too self aggrandizing in too subtle of a way. This book is a 250 page humble brag.
February 7, 2020
Business, Cancer, Divorce
Very easy read. Brett Going trough a divorce and battling with cancer. Trying balance his life between work and family. Big invement First Energy
Very easy read. Brett Going trough a divorce and battling with cancer. Trying balance his life between work and family. Big invement First Energy
March 6, 2020
I've now had my life's fill of people saying how great Brett Wilson is. Read it, now time to move on.
January 12, 2015
I have a lot of respect for Brett but this just wasn't very good. I still gave it three stars because there is definitely some good advice here, but as a total package I found it very repetitive, cliched, and self-congratulatory. He never seemed to explore his motivations and struggles enough to make this compelling as an autobiography; it all just seemed very surface level and safe. Additionally, his career experiences never quite felt sufficiently explored. For a lot of the ventures he was discussing it felt more like he was reading me a mission statement than giving me an inside look. In terms of advice, a lot of it was banal and obvious which wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't endlessly repeated. There were definitely good ideas here but not enough to fill a book.
Brett spoke at my university a couple of months ago (which is where I got a free copy of this book) and it was very inspiring. He covered a lot of the same things during his talk as he did here and it was made evident that he is a genuine, caring person not just in business but with his family and community as well. Unfortunately, writing a book takes a very different skill-set than public speaking and what came across as inspiring in his talk at my school came across as a little bit preachy here.
I guess my biggest issue is that I don't feel like I know him any better after reading this than I did after listening to him talk for an hour. After reading a 250 page autobiography, that shouldn't be the case. Despite all this, if he were to write another book I'd probably read it because he's an interesting person and I think he can do better.
Brett spoke at my university a couple of months ago (which is where I got a free copy of this book) and it was very inspiring. He covered a lot of the same things during his talk as he did here and it was made evident that he is a genuine, caring person not just in business but with his family and community as well. Unfortunately, writing a book takes a very different skill-set than public speaking and what came across as inspiring in his talk at my school came across as a little bit preachy here.
I guess my biggest issue is that I don't feel like I know him any better after reading this than I did after listening to him talk for an hour. After reading a 250 page autobiography, that shouldn't be the case. Despite all this, if he were to write another book I'd probably read it because he's an interesting person and I think he can do better.
December 18, 2014
I was given a free copy of this book for being one of the first fifty customers in a Kelowna, British Columbia fabric store (which I learned later is owned by the author, Brett Wilson). I stood in line to have the book signed, and I found the author very courteous and pleasant. We have a number of things in common -- we grew up in the same town (North Battleford, Saskatchewan); we now own homes in the same part of the province (Invermere, British Columbia); I consider myself to have entrepreneurial tendencies; and more importantly, I was signing a copy of my novel called Bird's Eye View on the very same day at a different location.
So I read the book with great interest. I was intrigued by Wilson's life, encouraged by his successes, saddened by his failures (he attributes the loss of his marriage and family to his workaholism), and inspired by his philanthropy. It was an excellent read. My only criticism would be the way each chapter was introduced by a photograph of the author, and a literary essay on the photograph itself by another author. I found this distracting and not in keeping with the subject matter. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to others.
So I read the book with great interest. I was intrigued by Wilson's life, encouraged by his successes, saddened by his failures (he attributes the loss of his marriage and family to his workaholism), and inspired by his philanthropy. It was an excellent read. My only criticism would be the way each chapter was introduced by a photograph of the author, and a literary essay on the photograph itself by another author. I found this distracting and not in keeping with the subject matter. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to others.
November 29, 2012
I went into this book with zero understanding of the corporate world of investment banking and the philanthropic process but came away with a deep respect for all of those who give their time and energy into both.
W. Brett Wilson opened his world laying bare his successes and mistakes in his journey through life. He prides himself on giving to worthy charities and helping start-up businesses hit the ground running.
I'm not going to lie, this book is a deep read requiring focus to understand the business dealings with his company FirstEnergy Capital Corporation; it may be that I am sorely unversed in the investment world. I will say this book is a must read for students from the high school level thru to university and anyone looking for assistance in business startup.
Bottom line, I had a deep respect for W. Brett Wilson prior to reading this book and came away with the understanding that respect was and is justified. Well done Mr. Wilson!
Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the author for an honest and unbiased review.
W. Brett Wilson opened his world laying bare his successes and mistakes in his journey through life. He prides himself on giving to worthy charities and helping start-up businesses hit the ground running.
I'm not going to lie, this book is a deep read requiring focus to understand the business dealings with his company FirstEnergy Capital Corporation; it may be that I am sorely unversed in the investment world. I will say this book is a must read for students from the high school level thru to university and anyone looking for assistance in business startup.
Bottom line, I had a deep respect for W. Brett Wilson prior to reading this book and came away with the understanding that respect was and is justified. Well done Mr. Wilson!
Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the author for an honest and unbiased review.
February 17, 2014
When I bought the book, I didn't know who Brett Wilson was. Watching TV isn't my thing these days, so the fact that he was on Dragon's Den didn't mean much to me.
The title was what hooked me to buy. Brett Wilson's philanthropic philosophy resonates with me. I learned a great deal about marketing and philanthropy, how they can go hand in hand. The community benefits and so does your business. His humanity strikes a chord too. He realized the importance of success in other aspects of life outside of financial wealth when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His passion for work destroyed his marriage, but he learned a huge lesson as a result.
I enjoyed reading the first half of the book. The second half was repetitive and a bit too self-serving. However, as a result, I did pick up the names of a few products that he invested in during his Dragon's Den days, and even went out and bought at least one item...is that good marketing or what!
Overall, I would recommend the book.
The title was what hooked me to buy. Brett Wilson's philanthropic philosophy resonates with me. I learned a great deal about marketing and philanthropy, how they can go hand in hand. The community benefits and so does your business. His humanity strikes a chord too. He realized the importance of success in other aspects of life outside of financial wealth when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His passion for work destroyed his marriage, but he learned a huge lesson as a result.
I enjoyed reading the first half of the book. The second half was repetitive and a bit too self-serving. However, as a result, I did pick up the names of a few products that he invested in during his Dragon's Den days, and even went out and bought at least one item...is that good marketing or what!
Overall, I would recommend the book.
January 20, 2013
The biggest lesson I learnt from this book is that what you do should match your priorities and values.
There was much wisdom in this book about how not to make the same mistakes that Brett Wilson made in his. It could save a lot of heart ache to those so focused on business and their career that they neglect their families.
I did feel that there was something missing from this book. Brett did not mention any religious affliation...maybe as to not offend his viewers.
His view on Philanthropy is one to gain attention. This does not sit right with me as I believe that your giving should be done in secret as Christ said.
Overall a good book and much wisdom can be gained from the experiences of Brett Wilson!
There was much wisdom in this book about how not to make the same mistakes that Brett Wilson made in his. It could save a lot of heart ache to those so focused on business and their career that they neglect their families.
I did feel that there was something missing from this book. Brett did not mention any religious affliation...maybe as to not offend his viewers.
His view on Philanthropy is one to gain attention. This does not sit right with me as I believe that your giving should be done in secret as Christ said.
Overall a good book and much wisdom can be gained from the experiences of Brett Wilson!
April 21, 2014
In this book, Dragons Den investor Brett Wilson shares his philosophy on life and business. Through personal stories, Wilson explains how taking calculated risks and learning from mistakes can be extremely rewarding. This book has some valuable tips for those interested in marketing, entrepreneurship, business and philanthropy, or just a glimpse into the life story of this millionaire.
If nothing else, this book serves as a warning to those who forget about family and community, when focusing on business success and building your wealth. Learn from his mistakes, and see how he redefined his success before it was too late!
I did not like the excessive namedropping in this book, but the last chapter with the top 5 lists more than made up for that.
If nothing else, this book serves as a warning to those who forget about family and community, when focusing on business success and building your wealth. Learn from his mistakes, and see how he redefined his success before it was too late!
I did not like the excessive namedropping in this book, but the last chapter with the top 5 lists more than made up for that.
July 28, 2013
After watching Brett Wilson's success on the Dragons' Den, I wanted to read about Brett's biography and his ascension into business success and stardom. Brett is a very unique person, and one I will model my life after (as others should as well). Brett took humble beginnings and a battle with prostate cancer to shape his success. Brett's narrative in this very revealing book, exposes the reader to Brett's life; the good, the bad, and the ugly. He is very honest and open about his success and tribulations. I not only recommend this book, I will buy it from you if you don't like it. Brett has inspired me to become a philanthropist just like him. Five Stars!!!
August 7, 2013
This book didn't really pull me in when I read it. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but to me it read more like a list of things than a story.
That said, it did get across the point that he strongly believes in doing charity events. The one interesting idea I did get from this is that you should use charity as a promotional opportunity. It conflicts with my default idea that charity is positive, but generally, you don't need to showboat about it. I'll consider it.
Overall worth a quick read. And it is a relatively quick read, but you probably should not expect any life changing revelations.
That said, it did get across the point that he strongly believes in doing charity events. The one interesting idea I did get from this is that you should use charity as a promotional opportunity. It conflicts with my default idea that charity is positive, but generally, you don't need to showboat about it. I'll consider it.
Overall worth a quick read. And it is a relatively quick read, but you probably should not expect any life changing revelations.
June 15, 2016
Redefining success- more like let me brag about myself. Very ego-centric, but he writes about the occasional minor failure and his divorce as his downfalls. He suggests we donate our money instead of buying more vacation homes and boats, because how many material possessions do we need? Well, this book isn't for the small fries like me who are just learning to find their own successes in life. This book is for people who are big fans of W Brett Wilson and want to hear about his dragons den adventures, and how many amazing things he has done in his life. His list of people he wants to meet is very unoriginal- bill gates, warren buffet, Elon musk... Great. Thanks for your insight.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2014
I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but I was a fan of Brett from his Dragon Den days. I came away with the impression that his target audience is other entrepreneurs/millionaires...not a whole lot for the average Joe. I guess I was hoping for a more traditional, personal autobiography; he really only skims the surface of his personal life. But still some good take away lessons on balancing life and career.
July 9, 2016
A lot of great advice on life and career, but there was quite a bit of repetition, so much that I'd lose interest and put the book down for a week or so and have to force myself to pick it back up and read until it got interesting again. Some boring sections as well, but that's probably because I'm not an engineer and have zero knowledge of the energy and oil businesses so those parts dragged for me.
December 4, 2012
I really like Brett's philosoihoy's and enjoyed reading his book. My family has been touched by his kindness and generosity and we will always thank and admire him. I have passed the book on twice already and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. There is so much to take away from it.
April 4, 2013
Not worth the time or money. Sounds like a good guy that has done a lot of other people. However, the book is not that interesting. I had to really push hard to get through it. Read Snowball by Warren Buffet much better life lessons and interesting story.
May 6, 2014
This book is not bad, lots of talk about charity donations and what he has donated to. The coolest chapter provides an insight into the businesses he has invested in on Dragons Den and their current status.
May 20, 2014
For someone so successful to promote some of the ideas he has, says much of the person. Great opportunity for every business-minded person to measure their perspectives and make decisions on what is really important in life.
June 9, 2014
Interesting enough story, sounds like a great guy, but it was not as insightful as I expected and the chapter breaks with his photos and weird interpretations of those photos from someone who had not met Mr. Wilson were very distracting from the business and philanthropy focus of the book.
March 7, 2016
3twenty solutions,the 7 virtues beauty,cosysoles, dr mist, earth innovations, easy-hitch, frogbox, hillberg & berk, karoleena, kelvin tools, mackenzie and marr guitars, moxie trades, quick snap,snappy socks, soap nuts, uno and shredder
November 24, 2012
Successful Canadian business mogul W. Brett Wilson from the Dragon's Den has written his memoir (not a "how to succeed in business" book). Know him first, then read it!
February 4, 2014
I watch Dragons Den and dream of being successful one day. This book was good for advice. You never know, when you learn lessons like these while you're young, it could benefit you in the future!
July 13, 2014
An quick, easy read in which Brett discloses personal aspects of his life and outlook that are insightful, valuable and often humorous. He epitomizes the notion of, "doing well by doing good."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews